Skating device



Jan. 30, 1934.

E. E. RIEDER SKATING DEVICE Filed Oct. 10, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet l Inventor 17? zzjzzedw By QMM f1 llorney E. E. RIEDER SKATING DEVICE Jan. 30, 1934.

Filed Oct. 10. 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 fax? Inventor J92 'eder 4 Home y Patented Jan. 30, 1934 UNITED STATES imam OFFICE 7 Claims.

This invention relates to what may be termed a skating device and consists in the provision of a pair of similar devices adapted to be applied to the feet of the wearer somewhat in the manner I as skates are applied, and the invention will be found especially useful to pedestrians for conserving their strength and at the same time to permit them to travel at greater speed than by walking.

Briefly the invention consists of an attachment for skates consisting of a wheel supported trough disposed at an incline and having operating therein a skate normally urged toward the upper end of the incline, the skate being caused .1.5I to roll down the incline, and a suitable connection between the skate and the trough whereby the skate is then subsequently returned to normal position at the upper end of the trough.

Figure 1 is a plan view of a pair of the de- 01 vices, the same being shown in their relative positions when being worn.

Figure 2 is a sectional elevational view through the device, the same being shown applied.

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 33 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a plan view of the upper end portion of the trough.

Figure 5 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view through the upper end portion of the trough, taken on the line 55 of Figure 4.

With reference more in detail to the drawings it will be seen that the invention comprehends the provision of two similar devices 5 and 6, one of the devices 5 being adapted to be worn on the .5. left foot, and the other of the devices 6 being adapted to be worn on the right foot. These devices, as intimated, are identical in construction except as to the position of the guard rail 10, the

guard rail on the device 5 being at the left side 40, of the device since said device is to be worn in conjunction with the left skate 11, while the guard rail'lO of the device 6 is disposed at the right side as said device is to be worn with the skate 12 for the right foot.

A detailed description of one of the devices will teach. the construction of the other. Thus it will be seen that for example the device 6 comprises a trough 7 having a bottom, sides 8, a rear end wall 9-, and a forwardly and upwardly extending 5. forward end wall 9a. The sides 8 are formed to provide internal channels or side tracks 13 to accommodate the wheels or rollers of the skate as will be clear from a study of Figure 3.

At its forward end the trough is supported by rollers 14 while at its rear end the trough is supported by rollers 15 provided on an axle '16 supported between the lower ends of brackets 17' which, at their upper ends are pivoted to the sides: of the trough as at 18. A frame-like brace 19 at one end of the frame passes through the sides 8 of the trough adjacent the rear end thereof, and at its free end the brace 19 is adapted to be engaged in selected ones of the series of notches 20' provided on the brackets 17. Screws 2 1 are suit ably engaged with the brackets adjacent the" notches 20 and serve to retain the said free endof the brace 19 in a pair of the notches 20. Obviously, by engaging the bracket 19 with a desired pair of notches 20, the pitch or angle of inclination of the trough 7 may be varied or adjusted as desired.

Arranged within the trough 7 adjacent its'up-- per end is a transverse partition 22, providing with the end wall 9 a compartment 23, and for this compartment 23 there is provided a removable cover plate 24. On the front side of thepartition 22 is a bumper 25 of rubber or other suitable resilient or elastic material.

Arranged within the compartment 23 is a transverse shaft 26 to which is fixed a drum 2'7 having a tape 28 wound thereon, one end of the tape being secured to the drum, and the other end of the tape being suitably secured to therear end or heelportion of the skate as will be clear from a study of Figure 2. Also as shown in said figure, the partition 22 and bumper 25 are suitably notched as at 29 to accommodate the tape 28. The shaft 26 is normally caused to rotate in an anti-clockwise direction through the medium of a suitable spring motor 30.

The bottom of the trough '7 adjacent each end, and intermediate its ends is suitably braced by cross strips 31.

Provided at one side of the trough '7 is a ver-- tical guide rail designated generally by the ref erence numeral 32. The guide rail 32 is of general U shape, and the sides thereof at the open end of the U are secured by welding or in any other suitable manner to one of the sides-8 of the trough. The guide rail at the upper end thereof, that is, at the closed end of the U is suitably apertured for accommodating a vertically shift able brake rod 33 that is also vertically slidable through a guide lug 34 provided on the said side 8 of the trough. At its lower end the brake rod 33 is provided with a ground engaging cup 35 of rubber or other suitable material, while at its upper end the rod is provided with a handle 36. A coil spring 37 is disposed about the upper portion of the rod 33 between the handle 36 and the mally retain the brake member 35 in raised or retracted position, or in the position shown in Figure 2.

In actual use the skates 11, 12 arranged within the troughs are secured or applied to the feet of the wearer in a more or less conventional manner. Assuming now that the feet of the wearer are in the position suggested in Figure 1. In this connection the brake associated with the device 5 is in ground engaging position and as the weight of the wearer in raising the right foot is shifted to the left foot the skate 11 will move toward the forward end of the trough, the trough being held against rearward or forward movement by reason of the brake associated therewith being in engagement with the ground as above stated. At the same time as the right foot of the wearer is raised and swung forwardly the trough of the device 6 will be drawn forwardly by reason of the action of spring 30, until the bumper 25 strikes against the rear rollers of the skate 12. As soon as the wheels or rollers of the devicefi are brought into engagement with the ground the brake associated with the device 6 is also pushed downwardly into ground engaging position to hold the trough of the device 6 stationary so that the skate 12 will be forced to move toward the lower end of the trough of the device 6 as the weight of the wearer is shifted to the right foot upon the rais ing and moving forward of the left foot.

What is claimed is:

1. In a skating device, a trough provided with guide rails, a skate operable within the trough and having the rollers thereof engaging said guide rails, in a manner to prevent casual removal of the skate: from the trough,extensible means connected with the skate; and normally urging the same towards one end of the trough, rollers supporting the trough at the front and rear ends thereof, means connected with the rollers at the rear end of the trough for supporting the trough at a desired angular adjustment relative to the ground, a guard rail rising from the trough at one side thereof, and a vertically shiftable ground engaging member supported by said guard rail, and normally disposed out of ground engaging position.

2.'In a device of the character described, a trough, rollers supporting the forward end of the trough, brackets pivotally connected with the trough at the-rear end thereof, rollers supported by the brackets, brace means connected with said brackets and the trough in a manner to secure the trough at the desired angle of inclination, a skate, inter-engaging means on the skate and trough whereby the skate is constrained to move longitudinally of the trough, a drum rotatably mounted in the trough at the rear end thereof, a tape wound on the drum and having an end connected with said skate, and spring means connected with the drum and normally causing the same to rotate in one direction.

3. In a device of the character described, a trough, rollers supporting the forward end of the trough, brackets pivotally connected with the trough at the rear end thereof, rollers supported by the brackets, brace means connected with said brackets and the trough in a manner to secure the trough at the desired angle of inclination, a skate, inter-engaging means on the skate and trough whereby the skate is constrained to move longitudinally of the trough, a drum rotatably mounted in the trough at the rear end thereof, a tape wound on the drum and having an end connected with said skate, and spring means connected with the drum and normally causing the same to rotate in one direction, a bumper extending transversely of the trough adjacent said rear end for engagement with the rear wheels of the skate when the skate is at the upper end of the trough, and brake means mounted laterally of the trough.

4. In a device of the character described, a trough, rollers supporting the forward end of the trough, brackets pivotally connected with the trough at the rear end thereof, rollers supported by the brackets, brace means connected with said brackets and the trough in a manner to secure the trough at the desired angle of inclination, a skate, inter-engaging means on the skate and trough whereby the skate is con-- strained to move longitudinally of the trough, a drum rotatably mounted in the trough at the rear end thereof, a tape wound on the drum and having an end connected with said skate, and spring means connected with the drum and normally causing the same to rotate in one direction, a bumper extending transversely of the trough adjacent said rear end for engagement with the rear wheels of the skate when the skate is at the upper end of the trough, and brake means mounted laterally of the trough,;said brake means including an inverted U-shaped guard rail having the sides thereof secured laterally to the trough at the open end of the U, a brakerod slidable through an opening in the bight of said U -shaped guard rail, a guide for the lower end of the brake rod mounted laterally on the trough, a ground engaging element on the lower end of said brake rod, and spring means engaged with the guard rail and brake rod for normally urging the latter upwardly.

5. In a device of the character described, a roller supported inclined trough, a skate confined within the trough for movement lengthwise of the trough, means mounted in the trough and connected with the skate for yieldably retaining the skate at the upper end of the trough, and manually operable brake means associated with the trough for holding the latter against forward and rearward movement in opposition to the load applied to the skate for causing the latter to travel in the trough from the upper to the lower end of the trough.

6. In a device of the character described, an inclined trough provided with opposed longitudinal guide channels, a skate having the rollers thereof operating in said guide channels and supporting means for the trough including means for securing the trough at the desired angle of in clinationa 7. In a device of the character described, an inclined trough, a skate arranged in the trough for movement therealong, and inter-engaging means on the skate and the trough to retain the skate within the trough.

EVERETTE ELMO RIEDER. 

